Tube holding clamp



Feb. 26, 1957 R. c. SHROPSHIRE 2,783,075

TUBE HOLDING CLAMP Filed NOV. 1, 1955 Fla; 4

' INVEN'fOR ATTORNEY United States Patent F TUBE HOLDING CLAMP Robert C. Shropshire, Vineland, N. 1., assignor to Ace Glass Incorporated, Viueland, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1, 1955, Serial No. 544,102

Claims. (Cl. 29419) This invention relates to article clamping and supporting instruments and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a tube holding clamp and support primarily designed for laboratory use.

Heretofore, in the handling of test tube and similar pieces of glass laboratory equipment, chemists and laboratory technicians have used various forms of spring tensioned tube holding clamps or forceps. However, all of these conventional devices with which I am familiar, have not only been lacking in positive gripping pressure but their range of adaptability for handling various sizes of tubes has been extremely limited. Furthermore, with conventional tube holding devices no means has been provided for supporting the device with a tube clamped therein, so that the entire tube is free from contact with a table top or the like upon which the device is rested.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a holding and supporting clamp for laboratory test tubes and the like, which has a wide range of adjustability to accommodate test tubes of varying diameters, with a minimum of manipulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tube holding clamp including a handle carrying a tube supporting rack and a co-acting spring tensioned chain or cable member adapted to partially encircle the tube and having retaining means for holding the same in clamping position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tube holding clamp of this character wherein one end of the cable or chain is anchored to a spring tensioned and longitudinally shiftable stem, arranged concentrically within the handle whereby, when the chain or cable ha been properly adjusted around the periphery of a tube supported in said rack, its free end may easily be connected to or released from the retaining means by a simple manipulation of the spring tensioned stem.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tube holding clamp including a supporting rack and spring tensioned clamping means, wherein said rack serves the added purpose of a supporting rest for the entire device.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts through the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tube holding clamp showing a supported tube in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a slightly enlarged view of the handle portion of the clamp, shown partially in longitudinal section to illustrate the spring tensioned chain anchor means.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation showing the clamping support with the rack resting upon a table top or the like.

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In the drawings, referring first to Figure 1, my improved tube holding clamp comprises a handle 5, preferably formed of a cylindrical tube of suitable metal and having welded transversely across one end, a substantially V-shaped rack member generally indicated by the numeral 6. The rack 6 is preferably formed of two U- shaped members 7 and 8 having their bases welded together in parallel relation as at 9 and in turn welded transversely across one end of the tube 5. The adjacent legs of the respective U-shaped members 7 and 8 diverge from their connected bases to form transversely spaced pairs of substantially V-shaped rests comprising the rack 6. The angle of divergence of the legs of the rack 6 is preferably approximately degrees so as to facilitate the reception of tubes of varying diameter, one of which is illustrated at 10 in the drawings.

A flexible chain or cable 11 is anchored at one end a at 12, to an ear 13 formed on one end of a squared rod or stem 14 which is slid-ably retained in the handle tube 5 by means of a transversely disposed web 15. The web 15 is welded or otherwise fixed within the handle tube 5 and is provided centrally with a squared opening 16 of a size to slidably accommodate the squared rod 14.

The opposite end of the squared rod 14 is cylindrical and is screw-threaded as at 17 to engage the complementary threads of an adjusting nut generally indicated at 18. The nut 18 is provided with a concentric neck 19, reduced in diameter to slidably fit within the bore of the handle tube 5 and between the extremity of the neck 19 and the underside of the web 15 is a coil spring 20 surrounding the squared rod 14 and adapted to be compressed between two elements 15 and 19. The opposite end of the adjusting nut 18 may be knurled as at 21, to facilitate its manual adjustment on the threads .17.

The free end of the cable or chain 11 is projected through the opposite open end of the handle tube 5 as seen in Figures 1 and 4, and is adapted to overlie the periphery of a test tube 14) disposed in the rack 6, in transverse relation to the axi of the handle tube 5. A retaining hook 222 is welded or otherwise fixed to the periphery of the handle tube 5, at a point spaced inwardly from the end thereof and adapted to be engaged by one of the links of the chain ll'or by a suitable loop or eyelet, it a cable is employed instead of the chain 11.

In operation, a selected tube It) is placed in the rack 6 while the holding tube 5 is grasped in the hand of the operator. With the other hand the operator places the free outer end of the chain 11 over the periphery of the tube and while forcing the projecting lower end of the squared rod 14 upwardly into the tube to compress the coil spring 2%, he hooks a selected link of the chain 11 over the retaining hook 22 so that upon release of the compressing tension on spring 20, the squared rod 14 which has -anchored at its upper end, the chain 11, is forced downwardly in the tube 5 to maintain a spring tensioned gripping engagement with the periphery of the tube 10, so long as the outer end of the chain 11 remains hooked. The ultimate gripping tension of the chain 11 with respect to the periphery of the tube 10, is deter mined by adjusting the nut 18 on the threaded end 17 of the squared rod 14, to thereby increase or decrease the tension of the spring 20. j

A convenient method of forcing the squared rod 14 upwardly in the tube 5 to compress the spring 20, is to simply hold the device by the tube 5 with the lower end 17 of the rod 14 in abutting relation with a fixed surface such as a table top, and pressing the handle 5 downwardly. Thus, after the free end of the chain 11 is hooked at 22 by lifting the holding tube 5, the spring 2%) expands and creates the desired clamping tension on the periphery of the tube 10 held in the rack 6. The same result can be accomplished by holding the tube 5 14, the spring 20 may be compressed to release the tension on the anchored end of the chain. When the test tube 10 or other piece of apparatus is clamped in this manner, the legs of the U-shaped member 8 of the rack 6 are adapted to act as a stand to support the holding clamp with the tube 10 completely out of contact with a table top or the like, as shown in Figure 4, thus avoiding the likelihood of breakage or chipping as might otherwise occur if the tube 10 directly contacted such table top.

In order to release the test tube 10 from the clamp,

it is simply necessary to slightly compress the spring 20 to relieve the tension on the anchored end of the chain 11 and unhook the free end thereof from the hook 22. The tension of the spring 20 having already been adjusted for a particular size of tube 10, it may be used again for that size tube without further adjustment.

It will be apparent that my improved tube holding clamp is suitable for many uses in a laboratory which require the frequent handling of glass tubes and similar items. For example, it affords a convenient and practical holding clamp when heating a test-tube over a Bunsen burner and provides a firm but cushioned gripping action in the subsequent manipulation of the tube when it is shaken or moved from place to place.

The ease of operation in placing the test tube in the clamping rack and releasing the same therefrom, greatly facilitates the work of the technician and minimizes the danger of breakage which has been one of the main drawbacks to conventional holding clamps.

From the foregoing it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an article handling device including a handle and a trough-shaped article supporting rack fixed transversely on one end of said handle and opening outwardly therefrom; a clamping clement comprising a length of flexible material, means anchoring one end or; said length to said handle, means on said handle for securing the free end of said length in overlying engagement with an article resting in said rack, in the region between the longitudinal extremities of the latter and resilient mean operatively interposed between said anchoring means and a fixed point on said handle for maintaining a releasable longitudinal tension on the anchored end of said length.

2. In an article handling device including a handle and a trough-shaped article supporting rack fixed transversely on one end of said handle and opening outwardly therefrom; a clamping element comprising a length of flexible material, means resiliently anchoring one end of aid length to said handle, under longitudinal tension, and means on said handle for securing the free end of said length in overlying engagement with an article resting in said rack, in the region between the longitudinal extremities of the latter.

3. An article handling device comprising a handle, a trough-shaped article supporting rack fixed transversely on one end of said handle, a clamping element formed of a length of flexible material, resiliently anchored at one end to said handle, with its free end adapted to overlie an article resting in said rack, in the region between the longitudinal extremities of the latter and means fixed on said handle for fastening said overlying end.

4-. An article handling device comprising a tubular handle, an open, trough-shaped article supporting rack fixed transversely on one end of said handle, a clamping element formed of a length of flexible material, an anchor rod slidably disposed within said handle, one end of said length being anchored to the corresponding end of said rod, with its free end projecting from said tubular handle, spring means associated with said rod and interposed between the latter and a fixed point on said handle, for yield-ably urging the anchored end of said length, longitudinally into said tubular handle, and means on said handle for securing the free end of said length in overlying engagement with an article resting in said rack.

5. An article handling device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said length of flexible material comprises a linked chain.

6. An article handling device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said rack comprises two spaced pairs of diverging legs, said length of flexible material being adapted to overlie said article at a point between said spaced pairs of legs.

7. In an article handling device including a tubular handle and a trough-shaped article supporting rack fixed transversely on one end thereof; a clamping element comprising a length of flexible chain, means anchoring one end of said chain within said handle, means exterior of said handle for securing the free end of said chain in overlying engagement with an article resting in said rack, in the region between the longitudinal extremities of the latter and resilient means operatively interposed between said anchoring means and a fixed point on said handle for maintaining a releasable longitudinal tension on the anchored end of said chain.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the anchored end of said chain is fixed to a rod slidably mounted within said tubular handle, an abutment Within the bore of said handle, an adjusting nut threadedly engaging the opposite end of said rod which protrudes from said handle, and spring means interposed between said abutment and said adjusting nut, for maintaining said releasable longitudinal tension on the anchored end of said rod.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rack comprises two transversely spaced pairs of diverging legs, the free end of said chain being adapted to overlie an article at a point between said spaced pairs of legs.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one leg of each pair is extended to provide supporting legs for said device.

Topp Apr. 19, 1910 Hubbard Oct. 16, 1951 

